This invention relates to an elongated article of apparel adapted to at least substantially encircle a portion of the body of a wearer of the article. The article of apparel is typically a belt, suspenders, headband, wristband or necktie. More particularly, the article of apparel of this invention comprises transparent plastic sheeting so that photographs or other flat decorative matter can be inserted therein for display.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,060,229, there has been proposed an article of apparel consisting of an elongated body, preferably of soft leather, having a series of spaced openings formed along its length and a strip of transparent celluloid secured against one face of the body over the openings and formed with spaced longitudinal flanges for receiving a plurality of display cards, the edges of the body being inturned upon the flanges of the strip, the body and inturned edges thereof being secured to the strip and its flanges by a series of stitchings. The spaced openings are not sealed. This permits the cards to slip out partially, which is detrimental to the appearance of the article of apparel, or to be lost altogether and also permits the interior face of the celluloid to become soiled. Moreover, celluloid is flexible but not pliable. Consequently, when the article of apparel is one which, like a belt, encircles a portion of the body of the wearer, the stressing of the celluloid resulting from the curvature imparted to the article of apparel when it encircles a body part of the wearer will cause the openings in the celluloid to gap, aggravating the aforementioned problems.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,596,884, there has been proposed a waist belt having front and rear layers at least one of which extends substantially the full length of the belt substantially throughout its width. The layers are secured together along narrow spaced vertically extending areas to form a plurality of pockets at closely spaced positions along a substantial length of the belt. The pockets have openings adapted to receive inserts. The front layer of the belt is sufficiently transparent to make the inserts visible against the inner faces of the front layer. The layers are joined by heat sealing or by cementing with the use of solvent or cement. Rubber hydrochloride or polymeric vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate containing a high proportion of plasticizer are suggested plastics but the patent indicates that the choice of plastic is not part of the invention. The pockets do not seal, facilitating displacement or loss of the inserts and soiling of the interior of the pockets.